‍Bringing treatments for rare diseases to market presents a host of challenges, from patient identification to trial recruitment and engagement at launch. These challenges are even more pronounced given that many rare diseases are highly debilitating, making it difficult to reach affected individuals.

While digital communities and social networks have helped connect some patients, they have not fully resolved the complexities of patient engagement and activation. Similarly, rare disease advocacy organizations must strike a balance between addressing patient needs and aligning with industry objectives.

One such challenge arose for Coherus BioSciences as they sought to identify and engage patients with nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC), a rare head and neck cancer that affects roughly 1 in 100,000 people annually in the U.S., according to the American Cancer Society.

“Especially in the rare disease category, every patient counts and every moment is critical. At Coherus, we were facing the significant task of identifying and engaging patients battling Nasopharyngeal cancer—a rare and aggressive condition. The traditional pathways of engagement were simply not precise enough to reach this disease state niche that disproportionately impacts Chinese-Americans,” explains Matt Goff, Digital Marketing Lead, Coherus BioSciences.

Leveraging Data to Bridge the Gap

To tackle this challenge, Coherus turned to specialized marketing partners and advanced data technologies to refine and accelerate their patient identification efforts. Initially, only a few hundred patients had been identified during the pre-launch commercialization phase—well below their target of 2,500. To bridge this gap, they collaborated with Confideo Media and Data360, leveraging cutting-edge intent data to expand their reach and connect with a broader patient population.

Through this partnership, Data360 provided access to its specialized head and neck cancer database along with its proprietary Fingerprint AI solution, which utilizes real-time intent data to analyze online behavior and create custom audience profiles. With this data-driven foundation, Confideo Media deployed programmatic ads that resonated with the right audience at the right time, improving engagement rates significantly.

“As is often the case in rare diseases, while learning about patients and caregivers with nasopharyngeal cancer, one of their biggest challenges was finding information on their condition. Coherus wanted to take the opportunity to provide education, but to do that we had to find these patients first. By partnering with Confideo and Data360, we were able to quickly identify NPC patients and provide them an opportunity to finally receive information curated and targeted specifically to the disease they are living with. Without the strategic use of data, we would not have been able to reach these patients so quickly and fill the unmet need for NPC education, supporting a community that has been underserved for too long,” said Angela Nicolella-Jay, Senior Director, Immuno-Oncology Marketing, Coherus BioSciences.

A Targeted Approach Drives Large-Scale Engagement

The results highlight the impact of a refined, data-driven strategy. Beginning in June 2023, a 12-week activation campaign generated over 1,500 successful site registrations and 300+ programmatic ad engagements from patients eager to access educational resources about their condition.

“Working closely with Coherus on their latest rare disease launch was a great example of how integrated data strategies can elevate and accelerate pre-launch campaigns. The challenge required a nuanced approach to patient engagement that went beyond the conventional. At Confideo, we pride ourselves on pushing the boundaries of what’s possible, and our collaboration with Coherus and Data360 did just that. By harnessing the power of custom audiences and intent data, we could identify potential patients more effectively and create targeted engagement campaigns that resonated on a personal level. The success of this strategy was evident in the speed and efficiency with which we were able to drive successful site registrations. This experience has solidified our belief in the power of data to revolutionize patient outreach and underscored the importance of personalized, data-driven marketing strategies in healthcare, especially in hard-to-reach rare diseases,” said Jay Shino, Senior Media Director, Confideo Media.

Coherus’ registered patients now have access to a range of educational resources, underscoring the far-reaching benefits of this data-driven initiative.

“As part of this initiative, our team has built out a series of segmented and robust educational offerings that deliver relevant education when patients seek it out and need it most. Leveraging data and employing these strategies has allowed our team to get a head start on patient identification at launch and has given patients who opt in education and access to resources for our first and only product approved by the FDA for a rare form of cancer,” says Brandon Kotaniemi, SVP – Immuno-Oncology Commercial Franchise Head, Coherus BioSciences.

“Hypertargeting patients by using available data and then building out and segmenting a robust patient database has allowed our team to find and meet patients and their caregivers at various points in their treatment journey. We must understand where patients are coming from and where they are in their journey so we can build education to help them understand their disease and give them the confidence and educational resources to communicate about it. In rare diseases, data is king.”

“This experience has solidified our belief in the power of data to revolutionize patient outreach and underscored the importance of personalized, data-driven marketing strategies in healthcare, especially in hard-to-reach rare diseases,” added Jay Shino.

James J. Miller, President & CEO of Data360, echoed the sentiment, emphasizing the role of intent-based data in driving engagement:

“We are ecstatic to help our clients and partners achieve this level of success. Plus, it affirms our confidence in the way we approach data differently—by prioritizing intent. With our focus on audience intent, we can identify online behavior, produce digital identities, and extract valuable intelligence. That allows organizations like Confideo Media and Coherus BioSciences to achieve best success in audience targeting, activation, and engagement—for patients or physicians, too!”

The Future of Rare Disease Patient Engagement

This case study demonstrates how a refined, data-driven approach can transform patient outreach, even for conditions that have historically been difficult to target. By leveraging real-time intent data, segmentation strategies, and personalized engagement tactics, pharmaceutical companies can better connect with patients, providing timely education and support.

For rare diseases, where every patient is crucial, data-driven hypertargeting is proving to be an essential tool in bridging gaps and accelerating access to care.

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Source: https://www.pm360online.com/how-an-integrated-data-strategy-can-accelerate-rare-disease-launch/

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